Aluminum galvanic cells, also commonly known as fuel or semi-fuel cells, provide an attractive power source, especially for portable sensor devices and micro electro-mechanical systems. System integration of power sources of this kind makes possible the development of sensors that can be deployed in the field.
One of the most claimed advantages of MEMS systems is the low energy requirement. So, these MEMS fabricated cells with higher energetic capacities can potentially power several of these micro-systems components, enabling the development of complex sampling schemes. The cells can be activated on demand, which eliminates the time-degradation performance common to commercial available batteries. The cells can be disposable (depending on the actuation type) and can be activated on demand and can provide a very long on-the-shelf life. System integration of both portable and disposable analytical/sensing systems benefit from this simple power source.
Fabrication methods for these aluminum galvanic thin cells are known in the art. However, the prior art methods utilize unsophisticated manufacturing techniques, such as staking and gluing layers. These techniques are difficult to duplicate in a mass fabrication environment
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a highly manufacturable process for the fabrication of high-energy micro-aluminum galvanic cells.